


Allaying

by Hazel_Inle



Series: Clearest Blue [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: Thrawn - Timothy Zahn
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Culture, Alien Sex, Alien/Human Relationships, Blow Jobs, Confusion, Embarrassment, Explicit Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Poor Eli, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Thrawn is clueless, but he still tries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-02-07 20:51:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12849282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hazel_Inle/pseuds/Hazel_Inle
Summary: Thrawn and Eli have a serious conversation, and Eli discovers something new about Chiss biology.





	Allaying

“Eli, are you alright?

Eli refused to move from his position. He would _not_. Not that he could anyway; his entrance hurt from the intrusion it suffered from after a long dry spell, and his legs were practically cooked pasta after such abuse. His face was buried into the crease of his arm, eyes shut away from Thrawn who stood in the doorway of the refresher.

 _“He must see the mess. He must know…”_ he thought grievously.

“Eli, answer me,” Thrawn repeated, touching Eli’s shoulder with a warm hand. Eli flinched at the contact, but Thrawn didn’t move away. Eli risked a glance.

Thrawn was crouched beside him, standing in a pool of oil and Eli’s cum, eyes wide and concerned, and a hand on his shoulder.

Eli couldn’t find his voice as his throat tightened to almost choking degree, and he turned his face back into his arm. It was over. All semblance of respect must be gone. There was no possible way-

“Eli, can you stand?” Thrawn asked. “You will catch a chill unless you move.”

Eli remained where he lay. He didn’t move. He didn’t even respond to Thrawn’s question. Thrawn didn’t let that stop him as he hoisted Eli up by grasping his ribcage under Eli’s arms, making it hard for Eli to hide his face. Instead, Eli shut his eyes tight.

He felt Thrawn reposition him and suddenly he was being carried against Thrawn’s chest in the Chiss’ arms, almost like precious cargo. He was placed on his bed with care, and he heard Thrawn return to the refresher and open the cabinet under the sink.

A sound of running water. The water stopping. More footsteps. The feel of a warm cloth to his stomach, one of the messiest places of it all. Where Eli _knew_ his own spent had dried. He even felt Thrawn scrubbing his skin gently in those places.

He saw it. He _knew_ it. Surely.

“Are you in pain?” Thrawn asked, cleaning off his hip. Eli shook his head, lying as the dull ache remained persistent. Thrawn grunted, a sound that gave away his knowledge of Eli’s fib.

“Do you need the medical bay?”

 _“No,”_ Eli practically groaned, his embarrassment spiking at the horrible thought of facing medical with his particular problem. Besides, he knew he could get through this just fine. The ache was normal and he just needed to rest. And his legs would look banged up, but he didn’t need a doctor for bruises.

Thrawn didn’t say anything, skipping over Eli’s privates to clean off his legs. He was meticulous in his work, taking care to sweep every last drop of oil and spent off Eli’s skin. He was careful around the newly developing bruises, swiping between each toe, and massaging the pads with his fingers through the cloth. He was soft. Tender. Warm.

Eli hated it.

“ _STOP!”_ Eli all but exploded, throwing Thrawn off himself and curling into a fetal position. “Just _stop it!_ ”

“Did I hurt you?” Thrawn asked, the question loaded with sentiment.

“Stop _caring.”_ Eli ignored his question with the command. “Stop pretending you don’t _know_.”

Neither moved for an instant. But that small sliver of time felt like an eternity to Eli.

“I cannot stop caring because you tell me to.” Thrawn’s voice sounded closer, as though he were leaning over Eli. A hand was now petting Eli’s hair, feeling the texture though some of the oil and caressing his scalp.

“And I am not pretending. I do not know what you were doing. However, judging by your reaction, it is obviously a private matter.” Thrawn turned Eli’s head to face in a certain direction, his elegant hands cupping his face. Thrawn’s thumb swiped over Eli’s cheek to coax his eyes open. Eli chanced a look.

Thrawn was staring at him with the same worried expression, though it was much softer, almost consoling.

“I will not embarrass you further by asking,” Thrawn continued. “If you wish for me to leave, I shall.”

Eli’s chest felt as though it would burst.

“You…don’t know?” he asked slowly, disbelievingly.

“No. I do not.” Thrawn rested his forehead against Eli’s. “I was worried for your safety. But you appear mostly unharmed with the exception of obvious shame and discomfortingly high body temperature. No matter my confusion, it is a matter you will entrust in your own time.”

Eli could hardly believe it as he leaned back into Thrawn’s touch. Relief washed over him with the same effect of sinking into a warm bath, and suddenly Eli was in a hot spring.

Thrawn left him soon after that, placing the med-kit on the bed next to Eli’s newly covered body. Once he was gone, Eli almost sheepishly cleaned off his private areas, silently glad Thrawn did not notice the large amounts of slick in such a hard to reach place. In fact, it seemed as though Thrawn _avoided_ those places with his eyes as much as possible, keeping his gaze strictly to either his cleaning job, or to Eli’s face.

A sudden respect for Thrawn overwhelmed Eli, knowing that such discipline and courteousness was not easy found. He was indeed lucky to have Thrawn, regardless of his constant questioning, blood pressure raising actions, and downright upfront way of speaking to people of power.

Eli laid himself down on his bunk to rest his eyes for a moment, the warmth of the blanket and his thoughts leeching his energy.

When he opened his eyes again, everything appeared the same. The med-kit was near his feet, most likely pushed there by his sleep shifting, the towel was on the side table where he left it, and the refresher light’s timer had expired. The whole room was quiet, and he could not hear anything outside in the shared space.

Eli managed to get to his feet without wobbling, and picked up his briefs and tank. He threw them on without much thought and fished out his exercise pants from his locker. Once completely dressed and feeling more like his life was put together, he exited his room and found Thrawn seated on the couch, reading from the datapad.

Memory flashed behind his eyes from the previous day in very much a similar situation. He prayed this would not become habit. He approached the seating area and leaned against the sofa by Thrawn’s shoulder.

“You…really won’t ask me anything?” Eli began.

Thrawn turned off his datapad before twisting his torso around to face Eli properly.

“No.” Thrawn said. When it was _all_ he said, Eli went around the seat so he could stand in front of him.

“No?” Eli asked once more. Thrawn turned his head to the side in silent questioning.

“Did you want me to?”

“I just…” Words nearly failed Eli before he forced his embarrassment down and his mind returned on track. “I just don’t understand how you wouldn’t know…”

“I simply do not.” Thrawn said this as though he were discussing proton torpedoes on a TIE fighter. “What humans do as part of their biological routine is not my concern unless you are hurt. You have insisted that you are not, so I stepped away.

“So, you’re saying that Chiss don’t…touch themselves?” Eli asked slowly. Thrawn’s brow raised.

“To bathe? Of course.”

Eli shook his head, a bit thrown by the innocence of the comment.

“No, I mean…to get off.”

“To get off _what_?”

“It’s an _expression_.” Eli sighed, realizing that he would have to spell it out plainly. “To get off means to…find sexual pleasure.”

For the life of him, Eli could not make himself say it, the familiar embarrassment creeping back. Thrawn made no reaction at all, which Eli couldn’t tell was a good sign or a bad one.

“Do such practices often happen in solitude without a partner?” Thrawn asked after a period of thought.

“Well…in the navy, yeah.” Eli shrugged. “I mean, there’s leave, and the occasional off time after a mission…but otherwise we can’t really do that stuff with anyone else. It’s kind of looked down upon. Not to mention, it’s _really_ wrong when its two guys- “

“What does gender have to do with this ‘getting off’?” Thrawn interrupted, suddenly very confused. And _openly_ so. Eli blinked.

“Um, well the standard for a lot of human culture is that beings should be with a procreative partner.”

“In marriage contracts, that would make sense to continue the line. However, for enjoyment purposes, it is common to find preference in all places. Why be judged for taste?”

“O-okay _yeah_ I agree. But the Empire doesn’t. So-”

“The Empire also does not believe in cross species relationships, nor does it allow intermingling with rank beyond professionalism.”

 “Yet here we are…” Eli conceded. Thrawn had a point in his logic.

“Precisely,” Thrawn replied with taciturnly, appearing content with having his argument made. Eli was quiet, before taking a seat beside Thrawn, wincing slightly at the pressure against his raw skin.

“Look, I don’t care. I like being with you. But…it’s hard to be proud and confident about it when the consequence is a firing squad.”

Thrawn’s expression softened.

“We have nothing to prove.” He said. “We are bound by mutual attraction. That is all that is required.”

Eli sighed, leaning forward to rest his head in his hands, which were perched by his elbows on his knees.

“I wish I could be as confident as you about all this.” He groaned into his hands.

“Do you feel it is wrong?” Eli heard Thrawn ask next to him.

“No, but…it’s hard to let go of the expectation that I should…” Eli trailed off.

“Eli…”

at the sound of his name in encouragement and consideration, Eli sat up and leveled his eyes with Thrawn’s.

“Let’s just say my parents were not too happy when they found out my preference.” He said. “We agreed that I would either find a wife and take over the family business to pass it to my kids, or I’d join the imperial navy, where a lot of small officers almost never leave the military or find anyone because they’re too busy with their career. They just don’t have time.”

Thrawn’s grip on the couch cushion next to Eli’s shoulder tightened, before relaxing again just as quickly.

“I see…” was all he said. It was obvious he had more to say on the matter, but his tongue was held.

“I can’t help but think I’m wrong for…well, you know, liking you and wanting-” Eli forced himself to stop. Thrawn’s gaze was now heavy on him.

“Wanting what, Eli?” Thrawn asked. That apathetic tone returned, so Eli was once again thrown in the dark for Thrawn’s feelings.

“for wanting…all of you.” Eli confessed. “Being together in every way. I mean, if we risk everything for a relationship, why not go all the way with it, you know? ‘Go big or go home’, as they say.”

Thrawn did not share the weak smile Eli shared at the attempted lightness. He did, however, reach for Eli to pull him closer. Eli did so and felt the warmth of Thrawn’s higher body temperature soothed his racing heart and flying thoughts.

“Our relationship, I admit, is one that is not practiced on Chiss worlds. Because no one has ever been with an outsider before, I do not know consequences of my people. Nevertheless, I do not need their approval.”

“You never did…” Eli murmured.

“No. I did not…however, I do not wish to cause you more grief. But if you feel we risk too much for something not worthwhile- “

“No!” Eli quickly exclaimed, stopping Thrawn from finishing. “It’s worth it. If you can need approval to do what you think is right, then maybe I can learn from that. I…I would like for my parents to be more understanding, as well as the Empire, but if I have to choose between my happiness and them…I guess I’ll make that hyperspace jump when I get there.”

Thrawn nodded in thought before replying.

“Whatever you choose, I will accept your decision. It remains your choice.”

Eli felt a more genuine smile come to his face. The change in Thrawn’s treatment of his own decisions was keenly felt, and gratitude spread quickly through his thoughts.

Thrawn repositioned himself so he could reach Eli better. Eli let him, and met him halfway, the forehead gesture now becoming almost a habit. It felt natural, close, and comforting. He could see this turning into a completely ordinary expression of affection.

Eli moved his face closer so their noses touched along with their foreheads, their breath shared between them with gentle acquaintance. Thrawn in turn stole Eli’s mouth with polite permission, taking exceptional attention to the feel of their flesh melding against one another’s movement. Eli welcomed the heated tongue and greeted it with his own. Heat burst forth from someplace unknown and spread over Eli’s body. With the heat came a yearning, and a rush of sensation ebbed through is flesh that eventually became a trickle when greeted with his lower half. He knew his body _wanted_ to awaken, but it could not.

Eli almost moved away in disappointment, when he felt a stiff heat that did not belong to him.

Eli instinctually looked down to see the beginnings of a lump in Thrawn’s trousers, much in the same spot as Eli would expect on another human man. He swallowed and returned his gaze to Thrawn’s, a flush rising on his sun kissed cheeks. Thrawn’s eyes were steadily locked with Eli, lingering, waiting, anticipating…what?

“What are you waiting for?” Eli asked, his voice small.

“I await your word,” he replied, “to stay or go.”

Eli shifted his weight, then trailed a hand down Thrawn’s tunic, waiting to see what he would do. Thrawn remained still, watching. Eli reached for Thrawn’s belt, and unlocked it. The metallic release rebounded in his mind on repeat, and a thrill of excitement and eagerness overcame his apprehension.

“Stay,” Eli said, hand over Thrawn’s jodhpur opening.

Thrawn nodded his head once, and that was invitation enough. Eli leaned down over Thrawn’s opened trousers and used his teeth on the zipper catch to free the enlarging organ. The smell of day sweat, sex, and musky flesh filled Eli’s nose, and he nuzzled the peeking regulation briefs with it, taking his fill of the intoxicating cologne.

It had been a long while since Eli’s last liaison with another person, and every one of those occasions were hurried, one-time-affairs that required speed and silence. For once, Eli felt he was allowed to take time and actually discover if he was a capable partner. With those other men – correction, _boys_ – Eli was just like them; eager, young, impatient, and probably a little too voluptuously discouraged for their own good. And _afraid_. Afraid to be caught by the authorities, afraid to be found out by parents, afraid that they would go too far and not be able to come back. It was why Eli only went as far as this with anyone; he couldn’t trust anyone to be quick and careful with his body so intimately. Some of the others had tried, but it _never_ ended well for them. They either were forced to medical facilities, or never wanted to experiment again, scarred by the incident.

But Thrawn was older, _truly_ confident, respectful, and experienced. He was controlled, diligent, and courteous. Eli was more afraid of his own failings as a person than Thrawn’s potential flaws, which was a rarity with Eli. It showed how much he trusted the Chiss to take care of what was next. He never did fail in being prepared.

Eli allowed his tongue to slip out and lick over the taut nylon-cotton fibers covering Thrawn’s arousal, the musk smell becoming a taste with a hint of detergent. It was a strong flavor, one that Eli found enticing by comparison. It was a clean but natural taste, a hard combo to obtain when you’re an awkward teen.

Above him, he heard Thrawn’s breath hitch, and Eli returned to his task with vigor. With the help of Thrawn lifting his hips, Eli was able to pull his trousers and briefs just out of the way, revealing the object of curiosity.

it was shaped much like a human’s with much more defined features, not much unlike Thrawn himself. The color was as the rest of his skin, though deepening to a warmer violet at the end. Uncut, and completely hairless, Eli felt suddenly intimidated by the sight. But it left as quickly as it came, parting his lips over the half exposed, rounded off - but still pointed – head. The first contact was startlingly warm, warmer than Eli ever thought possible. His tongue escaped past his lower lip and laved at the texture. It was smooth skin, but somehow held a calloused kind of surface, as though he were shaking hands with a labor worker.

Eli gave it a suckle and proceeded to explore the organ with his lips. The foreskin was smooth, but the actual cock was roughened, almost thicker. Every time the outer layer was pulled back, Thrawn’s cock twitched in anticipation. Thrawn made no sound above him, which worried Eli.

Was he doing this right? Was he going too slow? Perhaps Chiss needed something else to feel pleasure besides friction?

“can you tell me…what feels good?” Eli asked, looking back up. To his amazement, Thrawn was holding the arm and the back of the couch in a white knuckled grip, head thrown back and neck exposed, entire upper body taut. Eli could see the bobbing throat swallow as Thrawn attempted to find his voice.

He let out a guttural sound that sounded like a word, but not one Eli could understand. It was as though Thrawn was choking on it, and Eli sat up to listen better. He rested his temple against Thrawn’s cheekbone and heard it once more, this time clearer.

“Vah…ros batevit…”

Eli had no idea what Thrawn was saying but the way he said it was cue enough. Eli returned to his earlier position, paused, and then moved off the couch completely. He knelt before Thrawn and positioned himself between Thrawn’s powerful thighs, lips teasing over the shaft’s underside. He felt the vein pulse under his tongue as he licked it, the beating metronome of Thrawn’s formidable heartbeat. Once he reached the tip, he closed his lips around it once more, pulling it into his mouth eagerly. He wanted to hear Thrawn again, make him sound off in some way. Eli sucked and tasted something else in his mouth, a sticky liquid that clung to his tongue and didn’t mix with his saliva. Eli pulled off cleanly to massage the taste and texture in his mouth, testing it.

A stronger version of Thrawn’s natural musk, added with that telltale saltiness that Eli had recalled in his private moments. The texture was curious, but not awful. He returned to his earlier goal of taking Thrawn in, going further so he was halfway down. He swallowed hard around the organ, coaxing more of the fluid to drip out to his awaiting tongue. Eli heard Thrawn grunt above him, and felt his thighs twitch against Eli’s shoulders. He could barely contain his delight, bobbing his head in a steady rhythm and pattern, the spit dribbling down his chin in his effort not to scrape his teeth against the sensitive flesh.

Thrawn’s cock was larger than the prepubescent teens Eli had come in contact with, but he expected that. He wasn’t sure if it was too big or not, but every dipping motion he made downwards, he took Thrawn further in. By the time he was almost to the base, the head was past his gag reflex and bending towards his throat. He _did_ gag a couple of times, but pulled back far enough as to not trigger something more unpleasant. It had been a while, and he _knew_ what to do. Eli pulled off Thrawn completely with a gasping breath, to see the Chiss still tense and not looking at him.

“Thrawn, look at me.” Eli asked. He wanted those eyes on him. _Needed_ to feel that desire towards him, caress him, overcome him, envelop him, _take him_.

Thrawn moved his neck so his face was staring down at Eli. There was a distinct violet coloring his features with a few hairs out of place, dangling over his brightly shining eyes, glowering in frantic gluttony. Eli, satisfied he had Thrawn’s attention, smirked back while stroking him with a tight hand.

“keep looking at me.” After this command, Eli raised himself up a little, angled his throat, dove down, and swallowed Thrawn whole, bypassing his gag reflex and holding onto Thrawn’s jodhpurs for dear life. Eli’s eyes never left Thrawn’s so he had a clear view of his reaction.

Thrawn’s eyes were different once Eli stared into them with concentration. Through the glow, he could see a tint that was just a couple shades darker than the rest of the red, the epicenter being the darkest, but still bright red. These crimson pupils dilated with surprise, accompanied by a heightened pulse that Eli felt in his gullet, and a bated breath that shuddered out of Thrawn as his eyes closed in euphoric expression. His slightly ajar mouth released a long moan that came deep from within, and suddenly the sensation of that liquid spilling was gushing down his throat.

Eager to chase the taste, Eli swallowed frantically as he pulled off Thrawn almost all the way, only holding the tip between his wet pink lips. The liquid had higher viscosity, but not by much. Eli savored every last drop that he milked from Thrawn, pulling more and more from the slowly wilting cock with an insistent hand into his awaiting mouth. He could not place the flavor, but decided he didn’t want to. 

 He pulled off completely when he could no longer feel the trickle in his mouth, rolling the substance around his tongue again and again between gasps of breath, matching Thrawn’s rhythmic panting. Eli glanced up again to see a small smile on the corner of Thrawn’s lip, eyes mere slits of red.

Eli wiped off his chin and got to his feet, sitting beside Thrawn carefully as to not startle him. Here was where he was unsure what to do. Normally, this was the moment where he and his one-time liaison would flee the alley or dark corner, a silent promise that neither would meet again.

“I…hope it was good.” Eli muttered, letting his fingertips trace over Thrawn’s hand that gripped the couch. Upon contact, Thrawn released the cushion and weaved his finger with Eli’s. Eli was about to turn his gaze from their hands to see Thrawn’s expression, when a familiar brow connected with his head. Eli immediately returned the gesture, knowing the answer. He could feel the air around them humming as though charged with the heat of their activity, still trying to come down from the euphoric high.

 _“Vah nan'eo sar ch'esehn ch'ah,”_ Thrawn murmured. The words flowed past his lips in song sweeter than Ryloth Honey, and with such emotion that Eli had never heard from Thrawn before. He asked nothing, for fear of breaking the moment.

**Author's Note:**

> Say Hi on Tumblr!


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